1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to a damping element, particularly a mono tube damping element for a vehicle.
2. Description of the Related Art
Damping elements, particularly for a vehicle, which can be arranged between two masses, having a cylinder in which a piston is displaceably arranged, which piston divides the interior of the cylinder into a first cylinder chamber and a second cylinder chamber which are filled with a hydraulic medium, having a throttle connection between the first cylinder chamber and second cylinder chamber are known. The damping elements have a piston rod which is arranged on one side of the piston and is guided coaxially through the first cylinder chamber and is guided in a sealed manner out of the cylinder and which has first fastening device at its end projecting out of the cylinder for fastening to a first mass. A connection element formed as a hollow body is fastened by one end to the end of the cylinder opposite the end on the piston rod side, the extension of this connection element diverging from a coaxial extension relative to the cylinder, and the other end of the connection element has a second fastening device for fastening to a second mass. The interior of the connection element is connected to the second cylinder chamber, and the end of the connection element having the second fastening device is closed. A movable separating piston is arranged between the second cylinder chamber and the interior of the connection element, which separating piston separates the region of the second cylinder chamber that is filled with hydraulic medium from a region of the connection element that is filled with a compressible medium which is under pre-pressure.
Damping elements of the type mentioned above are used, e.g., in vehicles between a first mass, namely the passenger compartment which is to be kept free of vibrations, and a second mass, namely the wheels which undergo vibrations during driving operation, or the chassis. The damping element is connected, for example, to the first mass by the piston rod and to the second mass by a fastening device. The problem with the connection element is that it often cannot extend coaxial to the cylinder but rather must be guided around other structural component parts in the installed state. In known damping elements, the connection element is a cylindrical tube which extends at an angle to the longitudinal axis of the cylinder, the second fastening device being fastened to the lateral region of the connection element. The separating piston is displaceably arranged in the connection element. Therefore, the cylindrical tube can be filled with the compressible medium along only a part of its length. This small volume of compressible medium leads to a relatively steep and, therefore, uncomfortable spring characteristic of the gas spring formed by this volume.
Therefore, it is an object of the invention to provide a damping element of the type mentioned above which avoids the aforementioned disadvantages in a simple manner and allows a flatter spring characteristic of the volume of compressible medium when the connection element does not extend coaxially.